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I Can’t Even… The 10 Best Books I Read In 2018

I’ve never in my life managed to read as many books as I did this year. 106 until now, and we still have three days left. The plot thickens!

I’m still wondering how I actually pulled this off, because I’m still watching TV series and true crime documentaries like my life depended on it, I went on holidays and hung out with my friends like before. Must be the insomnia or something. If I’m honest, I’d rather be sleeping.

Such an emotional rollercoaster this was! It was one of the first books I’ve read this year, but I’ve never stopped singing its praises. Beartown is not about happy endings. This is what I love so much about Scandinavian authors, TV series, and films. They are not afraid of the dark. They embrace it, and make it okay somehow.

#2 Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

A brilliant sequel to Beartown, Us Against You left my emotions in tatters. I still couldn’t bring myself to finish my review, but there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about the story and the people of this little town. Fredrik Backman is such an observant and skillful narrator.

ittle Fires Everywhere is a sensitive, insightful novel set in Shaker Heights, a perfectly planned suburb near Cleveland. This is a story filled with small town politics, complex mother-daughter relationships, budding teenage friendships, and some heavy questions.

Mark Edwards is my go-to guy for suspense. He just gets it. This was the perfect spooky read for Autumn! Fast paced, gripping, and the sort of dark story that makes you want to burrow deeper into your blankie nest.

#5 The Outsider by Stephen King

The Master of horror and storytelling has been my favourite authors of all time ever since I came across him at age 14. The Outsider was a pretty solid mystery with a touch of paranormal, and as usual, filled with brilliantly drawn characters.

A bunch of wiseass cops on the hunt for a brutal killer. Ragdoll was so much fun to read, and it’s nearly impossible to not fall madly in love with the crew. The banter between Wolf and Baxter was brilliant, (Edmund) Edmunds is the best eager rookie, and the murderer is just creepy as fuck.

A heart pounding suspense, In Her Shadow was a totally engrossing mystery involving a four year old who knows way too much about her aunt. The aunt who died before the child was even born. Kept me on my toes, this one!

Have you read any of my favourites? Do we have anything in common on our lists?

So they like to swear a lot (not sure if that bothers you) but Last Podcast on the Left does extensive research on various true crime. It’s both funny at times but they really get into the nitty gritty details. They also tackle other topics now and again like conspiracy theories, cryptids & legends. I’m assuming you wear headphones while listening to stuff at work but if you don’t, you may want to save this one for at home. 🙂

Great list! 🙂
I loved Little Fires Everywhere as well – such a great book that one. Beartown is extremely high on my TBR list, hoping to read it next month. I’m so happy its sequel was also an excellent read. Oh so many books Norrie, can I just read and forget this thing called work please? 🙂

Ragdoll was really the type of book I like to read, a little gruesome but with a great investigation :-). I still have to read The Chalk Man next year and A Man Called Ove. It’s going to be such a busy year!! Great list Norrie!

Oh yay for Chalk Man, hope you’ll enjoy that too!
I have about 50 books on my wishlist and bought half of them so far and intend to read them some point next year. I’m trying to refrain from adding more. Hehe 😀

So many great ones, Norrie, and so many I want to read, too! Little Fires Everywhere and In Her Shadow were two wonderful reads for me, too. I’m sorry about the insomnia though. Hope that gets better in 2019. ♥️

Well, it def looks like I’ll be buying BEAR TOWN and it’s follow up to read this spring! And Mark Edwards is now on my radar to dig into and check out too. Thanks for a great list of books, and congrats on reading over 100+ books, amazing!

I can’t believe you’ve read so much this year, I’m so impressed, that’s amazing! 🙂 I really need to read Little Fires Everywhere, it sounds like such a great book, I’m happy to see it on your list here 🙂 And we were liars, oh I loved that one SO much!

Oh, i hope you’ll enjoy whichever you pick 🙂 I’m still intimidated by his non-beartown books, cuz i do like a bit of mystery even in my contemporary stuff. Even though none of them were straight up mystery, like you knew what happened and all, but the characters didn’t, so that was enough for me 😀

Glad little fires everywhere was so good. And I really want to read the chalk man too. Ahh I loved we were liars too- so agree with you about it. And woman in the window was completely addictive! Love this list! 🙂 ❤

I too enjoyed Ragdoll! Have you read the sequel? 😮 I’ve yet to pick that one up, Hangman. 😮 Also, you got me wanting to read a King book ASAP hahaha I say that… but I’m sure I’ll take a gazillion years before picking one up again… The struggle is real. Awesome top 10, Norrie! 😀

Aww, yess ♡ I loved We Were Liars!!! Chalk Man was a pretty good one, too. I’m def gonna try to read a Mark Edwards novel now! I hadn’t heard of him before and both of the ones you included sound right up my alley. 🙂

Book lover, cat hugger, coffee drinker, wiseass, capable of eating half a cheesecake in one sitting. Best not to approach before she had her breakfast.
Loves a good thriller, but would probably not touch romance with a stick. Based on the amount of crime fiction she’s read, could probably solve a crime. Or not, but she would certainly try. Loves science fiction and secretly dreams about joining the Starfleet since she was fourteen.
Hates ignorance and anything with coriander. Doesn’t operate well below 25 degree Celsius.